Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-01-05
The WHITE HOUSE.
How the Occupants of the Executive Man
sion Are Protected from Would
BE Assassins.

[Cor N. Y. Trfbune.1
One Of the most pulling Of American
ways to the foreigner is the simplicity Of
the highest official life and the case of ap-
proach to the home circle of the President
When General Arthur was President he
was accustomed to take long horseback
rides about Washington wholly unat-
tended. The White House stands back
from the busiest street in the capital, with
the gates always open. and there n a pop
ular impression to the effect that any free
born American citizen can walk in and
shoot the President whenever the spirit
moves him. That is not quite the case,
however. An officer who has a general
oversight of the Presidential mansion
made an experiment the other night
to test the efficiency of the guard. Being
thoroughly familiar with oil the highways
and byways of the White House grounds,
he climbed over back gate about half an
hour after midnight, and picked his way
through the shrubbery. Before he had gone
a hundred feet the sharp "Who goes
therel" of a Waterman brought him to a
halt Upon recognition he was, Of course,
allowed to pass. Under the shadow of
the house he was again challenged. He
tried all the windows and found them
locked. Upon opening the front door as
noiselessly as possible he was greeted by
an usher. Before the door of the Presi-
dents study another usher babe him good
morning. Within he found the Chief
Magistrate in the traditional and appro-
pirate costume-his shirt sleeves-im-
mersed ia papers and the cares of state.
Thus four lives stood between the Presi-
dent and any crank who might have
sought the notoriety and the fate Of
GuiteaH
The men who framed the White House
had about as inadequate an idea Of the
strains to which their work was to be sub
iected as did those who framed the con-
stitution. When the army and navy re
ception was held, soon after the installa-
ton Of Mrs. Cleveland in her new home,
the crowd filed the porch. packed the
grand staircase, and spread all over the
second floor. Those who were familiar
with the weak points of the old struct-
ure were on pins and needles. The
next day an examination revealed the JUS
tice of their fears. The grand staircase
had sagged seven inches at some points
and the floor from two to five inches. II
costs $3.50 to get the staircase into line
again, and IN examination of the floor
beams showed that some Of them had been
saved halfway through by careless gas
Aen and plumbers.
The ways Of people who go TO these public
receptions form study in human nature.
Some lose their voices altogether and 9TH
ers experience an accession of volubility
that lasts them all the way down the line
and out of the door. Sometimes a care
fully prepared speech is perpetrated
Thus, at the reception mentioned above, a
richly dressed woman approached Mr.. and
Mrs. Cleveland evidently loaded and
primed with great idea. When within
range she struck an attitude and remarked
in staccato accents: MAY your happiness
be as great as your position is exalted %
and marched OF with the air Of one who
has said good thing and knows It